Caster-mounting.



A. H. NELLER.

CASTER MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1.1915.

1,155,607. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

witnesses. Inventor,

Albert h. mzzzn-a A tornzy.

COLUMBIA PIANOORAPH CO" WASHINGTON. D. C-

UNITED OFFTQE;

ALBERT H. WELLER, or FAIREIELIJ I OWA, AssrGNoit or own-THIRD '10 IRVING L. 'EALEs AND ONE-THIRD T0 FRANK s. Boins, IBOTH or JFAIRFIELD, Iowa.

cAsT'ER-MoUn'TiNG.

Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

Application filed "March 1, 1915.- seriai No. 11,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H; NELLER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Fai'rfield, Jefferson county, Iowa, have invented'certai'n new and useful Improvements in Caster-Mountings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in caster mountings, and the object of my improvement is to supply for the legs of washing-machine tubs, mechanics work benches, stoves, articles of furniture or the like, means for movably seating and detachably securing casters thereon, adapted for con venient use in either placing the casters in operative location below and with relation to the article supported, but which may also be readily returned to their initial positions, when it is desired to have the article stand unsupported by the casters. This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of one of my improved caster mountings, as secured upon the leg of a tub or other article, and in a position where the caster is below the level of the leg, but as yet not secured thereto by the detachable fastening-means. Fig. 2 is a like front elevation of said device, showing the caster elevated with relation to said leg and the latter resting unsupported thereby. Fig. 3 is a like elevation of the device with the caster secured to said leg by the detachable fastening-means, and supporting said leg detachably. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said device. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the slideway of said device. Fig. 7 is a medial longitudinal section of said slideway. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of the caster-spindle bearing.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My improved caster-mounting is primarily intended for use on the legs of a tub or washing-machine, but may be as conveniently and appropriately employed on any article of furniture or supported body.

The numeral 14 denotes the lower part of a leg or support of a tub or other body. Upon this leg a casting 1 is detachably secured by means of screws 13 or other fastening means passed through orifices 7 and 8 in lugs or ears 1 and 5, the orifice 7 passing centrally through a "cylindrical boss 4 on the ear 1. Said casting has a hollow part 2 raised above the level of the leg 14, and provided with a vertically arranged deep groove or slot 8 terminating just above the lower sloped part 6 whose lower horizontal edge serves as means for registering the bottom of the casting with the lower end of said leg. The casting 1 also has integral pointed studs on its reverse face adapted to be driven into the abutting face of the leg 14 to aid in preventing sidewise movement of the casting. The numeral 12 denotes a slide seated within the hollow of-said cast' ing and having a shank or bracketed part 11 extending outwardly through the slot 3 and carrying a tubular bearing 19 on its outer end. The interior bore 29 of said bearing is open at the bottom, closed at the top, and receives the cone-topped spindle 28 of the forks 20 of a caster-wheel 21 rotatably. The upper end of said spindle is beaded at 25 on the side and has a pointed head which carries the full weight of the supported body, and being pointedly pivoted, makes a free and easy moving swivel at 25 and an opening 26 formed in the bearing 19 leaves a tongue-part 27 adapted to be sprung inwardly under said bead to retain the spindle in the bearing, without interfering with its rotation or rocking horizontally therein. The slide bracket has also an integral escutcheon or plate 15, one lateral edge of which is formed with a detent 24 and an elongated depending swinging pawl 23 is suspended pivotally on the boss 4 of said casting and retained thereon by a washer 22 and a screw 13. This pawl has its lower end formed into an offset tooth 16 and an oblique part 18 having the root cavity 17 between them and the pawl is located to hang adjacent tothe detent 24, the detent 24 being formed and adapted to fit into and become engaged with the walls of the cavity 17 of said pawl when the latter is moved past it slowly enough to permit gravity to act on the pawl to seat its cavity 17 about the detent 24.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows the positions of the parts of the device when the body 14 is lifted, and in which the slide drops under the action of gravity to its lowermost position, with the caster-wheel 21 entirely below the lower limit of said body, and the pawl 23 having its detent disengaged from the detent 24: of said slide. In Fig. 2 is shown the positions of the parts of the device when the leg 14 is resting directly upon the supporting surface, with the slide and'caster pushed to their uppermost limits of movement, the pawl 23 having its tooth 16 below and disengaged from the detent 21. This position may be effected when the parts are as in Fig. 1, by dropping the supported boc y 1 1 rapidly so that the oblique edge of the part 18 of the pawl 23 slides and bounces off from the sloping upper edge of the detent 24, so that while swinging outwardly, it simultaneously passes the detent 2& before it has a chance to swing back and engage it. In Fig. 3, the cavity 17 of said pawl is shown engaged with said detent 21. This is effected-by lowering the leg 1-1 from its position in Fig. 1 slowly which permits the pawl to move easily over the detent without swinging, so that by the action of gravity, its cavity 17 engages the-detent 21, and the leg is fixedly supported upon the caster 21 thereunder. When the several legs of a tub or other article are thus equipped, the same may be tilted so as to cause the caster moiuit on each leg to be acted upon separately, with a minimum of effort, and very conveniently.

Having described my invention, what I Copies of this patent may be obtained for of Feb. 1915.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A caster mounting, comprising a vertically grooved slideway mounted on a supported body, a slide mounted slidably in said slideway and having a bearing for a caster-spindle, a caster whose spindle is mounted rotatably in said bearing, said slideway permitting movement of the slide to locate the caster below the lower limit of the supported body, said slide having a lateral detent and a pawl suspended on the supported body above said slide and having projections on opposite sides of a root cavity, said pawl being adapted when moved slowly past said slideto swing laterally to engage the detent on the slide in said root cavity to hold said body supported on the caster, and also adapted when moved rapidly past the slide to avoid the detent thereon by having its projections bound ofi therefrom too far to the side to become-engaged therewith when swung back, to thus permit the slide and caster to be pushed up and allow the supported body to rest on a 7 supporting surface'without being supported on thecaster. Signed at Fair-field, Iowa, this 10th day ALBERT H. NELLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. READY, B. F. LIBLIN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

